David DeJesus helps Cubs beat Mets before injury

By MIKE FITZPATRICK -
The Associated Press

June 14, 2013

Caption

Cubs center fielder David DeJesus writhes in pain after running into the wall during the third inning against the New York Mets on Friday in New York. DeJesus was hurt on the play. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK – David DeJesus got dressed with one arm and even joked that he might be back in the lineup Sunday after sitting out one game against a lefty.

“Shoulder’s good,” he said with a smile that he readily attributed to powerful pain medication.

DeJesus hit a bases-loaded triple before hurting his right shoulder when he crashed into the outfield fence, and the Cubs beat the New York Mets, 6-3, on Friday night behind resurgent starter Edwin Jackson.

Injured in a New York ballpark for the third time – with his parents in the stands for each one – DeJesus is headed to the disabled list with a sprained right shoulder, manager Dale Sveum said. The Cubs were deciding on a corresponding roster move for Saturday.

“Pretty much tried to run through a wall to catch a ball,” an appreciative Jackson said.

Nate Schierholtz homered and slumping Anthony Rizzo had three hits for the Cubs in the opener of a three-game series between big-market teams trying to rebuild.

Jackson (3-8) went six innings for his second consecutive win, allowing one run and five hits while striking out seven.

“Just trying to get in a rhythm,” he said.

Daniel Murphy hit two RBI singles and David Wright had three hits for the second consecutive game, but his baserunning blunder stopped a Mets rally in the seventh. New York has lost nine of 11 since a five-game winning streak.

Mets starter Shaun Marcum (0-8) was hit hard early but retired 12 straight during one stretch and pitched into the sixth. It was his first outing since throwing eight innings of splendid relief in a hard-luck loss to Miami on Saturday, when the Mets were beaten 2-1 in 20 innings.

“It’s not tough on me, it’s probably more tough on the guys in here,” Marcum said. “I think I’ve said it a thousand times: I could care less about my personal wins. It’s more about the team.”

Coming off a 14-inning victory Thursday at home over Cincinnati, the Cubs won their second in a row after dropping eight of 10.

Rizzo’s bloop single started a four-run second. Dioner Navarro also singled and a walk to Luis Valbuena loaded the bases with none out.

After a visit from pitching coach Dan Warthen, Marcum gave up an RBI single to Darwin Barney before Jackson struck out. DeJesus then hit a drive beyond the reach of rookie center fielder Juan Lagares that banged off the right-center fence for a three-run triple, giving the Cubs a 5-0 cushion.

“You get those early runs, it’s definitely a luxury,” Jackson said. “More times than not it’s going to be a close game. You’ve got to pitch mistake-free, or pretty close to it. But when you come out and get an offensive explosion like we did tonight, it’s definitely great.”

One inning later, Lagares led off with a triple to nearly the same spot and DeJesus – running almost full speed – crashed hard into the wall while trying to make the catch. He extended his right arm but the ball ticked off the end of his glove, and DeJesus’ prone right shoulder slammed into the padded wall.

“That was a good one,” he said. “I couldn’t stop and it felt like I ran into the wall and my shoulder just went the other way.”

His glove was knocked off his hand, and DeJesus immediately went down, writhing in pain on the warning track as he reached for his shoulder.

“It was just like the pressure just didn’t want to stop,” he said.

After Lagares pulled into third, every Cubs fielder went out to the warning track to aid DeJesus along with Sveum, a trainer and a worker in an EMS top. But in an encouraging sign, DeJesus got up and walked off the field under his own power, his right arm hanging limp along his side.

Ryan Sweeney took over in center field, and DeJesus went for X-rays. Sveum said the outfielder will need more tests when the swelling goes down to determine a more definite prognosis.

“That’s kind of the player he is. He plays hard every day and unfortunately that fence got the best of him today,” Sveum said.

DeJesus, who grew up nearby in New Jersey and went to Rutgers, said he previously injured a shoulder and tore thumb ligaments on two separate occasions at Yankee Stadium. He said his parents and a close friend have been in attendance for all three injuries.

“I’ve had some bad luck here,” he said, adding that his parents came down to see him after he came out of the game Friday. “At least they’re here, they didn’t have to watch it on TV.”

Lagares scored on Murphy’s two-out single, but Valbuena chased Marcum with a two-out RBI double in the sixth that made it 6-1.

New York got run-scoring singles in the seventh from Murphy and Lucas Duda off James Russell, but Wright was cut down at third by Alfonso Soriano’s throw when he tried to go first to third on Duda’s one-out single to left.

Carlos Marmol worked a perfect eighth and Kevin Gregg got three quick outs for his eighth straight save to begin the season.

NOTES: The Cubs confirmed that Triple-A infielder Ian Stewart was suspended 10 games without pay following his critical comments about the organization. ... Attendance was 32,208 on a night when Foreigner played a postgame concert at Citi Field.

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